The Cobar Services Club will hold its annual general meeting next month with the main item on the agenda being the club’s uncertain financial situation.
The club’s secretary/manager Linda Carter said in the whole time she’s held the position (10 years), the club’s financial position has always been a worry.
When she took over the position in 2013, and helped to bring the club out of administration, Linda made a lot of changes to ensure the club was running more cost effectively.
She said with continued rising costs of wages, electricity, insurance and workers compensation, coupled with the proposed costly changes to gaming and the introduction of cashless poker machines, the club’s financial situation is still of concern.
“I’ve spoke to the board about it numerous times and if I’m to leave in 12-18 months time, we need a pathway to get out of the problem now,” Linda said.
“It’s an old building and currently there’s an air conditioner that needs replacing, that’s $50,000, then there’s new carpet and flooring and with the changes coming to gaming, the poker machines will need to be upgraded in the next five years. It’s $35,000 for one poker machine, and that’s only an ordinary one, they sell for up to $60,000-$70,000.
“We need the support of the members and we need a cash injection from somewhere. If a 100 members put in $1,000 each that’s $100,000 but that’s not really going to get us very far.
“Or do we just throw our hands up in the air?
“But I’m not a quitter,” she said.
Linda said with the guidance of ClubsNSW she’s looking in to amalgamation, which is what a number of smaller and unviable clubs are now doing.
“We’ve had some informal preliminary talks with the golf club about this just to know what path we might be able to go down.”
She said visitors from the busy caravan trade have been helping to keep the doors open.
“They come in for a drink and a meal and play the pokies, but it’s not putting us any further in front.
“We don’t have the support of some big businessman, the club is owned by the members and ultimately they will have the say as to what happens.”
Linda said if they decide to, they can choose to close the club and sell up however members are concerned what would then happen to Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services and the memorabilia that’s in the club.
“I’ve always been kicking and screaming to keep the doors open, but now I’m running out of kick,” Linda said.
She hopes the community will show their support by attending the AGM on August 26.
